


Don't Look To A Stranger

by skimmingthesurface



Series: The Promise [3]
Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Genre: Dipper and Wirt are childhood best friends, Episode: s02e13 Dungeons Dungeons and More Dungeons, First Crush, Gravity Falls Rewrite, Jealousy, M/M, Pinescone Week 2019, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Preteens, pinescone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 03:04:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21172373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skimmingthesurface/pseuds/skimmingthesurface
Summary: For Pinescone Week 2019Day 5: JealousyThe Author's elusive identity had finally been revealed, but even though Dipper is so close to getting to know him and have all his questions answered, he's being shut out. Well, what are best friends for if not for cheering up and distracting from his disappointment? Wirt tries to do just that, but somehow ends up the one shut out. How did that happen?Part 3 in the The Promise series. This is a rewrite of "Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons."





	Don't Look To A Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> _If you need a friend, don't look to a stranger_  
_You know in the end, I'll always be there_  
-When in Rome, "The Promise"

The satisfaction of finally discovering who the Author of the journals was had been short-lived. Ever since Dipper’s great-uncle - there were two of them now, and Wirt wasn’t sure how to feel about that - had appeared out of the portal in their secret basement, it seemed that Dipper had been completely slapped in the face with rejection harder than when Wendy had turned him down after the bunker. The man he’d been looking up to all summer, admiring, revolving his whole life around, his idol, seemed to want nothing to do with him. Any and all attempts to get to know the actual Stanford Pines ended in a solid no or slamming the vending machine in his face - well, okay, it was more of a gentle, futuristic, space hiss than a slam, but it still felt like a slam. 

It wasn’t like he was being malicious though. No, there was no mean spirit at all to the way the author brushed Dipper aside like he was a child, but that didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt. Dipper was sensitive when it came to things like being accepted, especially when it came from people he really admired. He’d already gone through it once with Wendy, Wirt hated having to see him go through it again.

As his very best friend and keeper of his heart - it sounded romantic and heroic in his head - Wirt vowed to do whatever he could to keep Dipper’s mind off of Stanford’s casual dismissal. He got him out of the shack whenever he could, embarking on adventures to check out the sights detailed in journals one and two as well as just walking into town to hang out at the arcade or the Gravity Falls mall. It wasn’t much, but it felt almost… normal. Like things were back to how they’d been before they’d even come to Gravity Falls, just having fun together. 

So it felt like destiny when they found the newest edition of Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons at the Stop & Game store. They’d spent almost their entire childhoods playing that game - even the weird, “cool” 90s version that Dipper couldn’t stop complaining about - so they’d exchanged eager smiles and pooled their allowances together to buy it. If there was one thing that would certainly take Dipper’s mind off the past few days, it was D, D, and More D. 

They’d even tried to get Mabel to join them, Wirt still feeling bad that she didn’t have a best friend living with her for the whole summer and Dipper always eager to have more players. Even if it was something just the two of them could play, it did sometimes limit their options, especially since Wirt wasn’t as quick or clever as Dipper and the dungeons he created kind of… well… Dipper solved his puzzles at a rate that made Wirt blush, and not from admiration. So more often than not, Dipper was the Dungeon Master, and while he enjoyed the role immensely, it still would be a fun change of pace to invite more players into the game.

Unfortunately, in his overexcitement to explain the game to Mabel, he kind of ruined the concept for her. Sure, there were quite a few graphs, but there was also a lot of creativity involved once the game got going. She could summon all the unicorns and hot elves she wanted, but it was already too late. The damage had been done and she made a quick getaway as soon as Soos wandered in.

After he and Grunkle Stan turned them down - well, the latter mocked them more than turned them down - Dipper huffed and clutched the rulebook protectively to his chest. “You guys just aren’t smart enough to understand it.”

“Pfft. It can’t be that hard if Wirt can play,” Mabel laughed.

“Hey.” Wirt puffed out his cheeks as he narrowed his gaze, but she simply grinned at him and waved finger guns in his direction. “I- You were just saying it sounds like ‘Homework the Game.’”

“Just because you’re a nerd doesn’t make you Smarty McSmartypants.” She pointed out, balancing a colored pencil on her upper lip like some kind of turquoise mustache.

“Sorry, dudes, but it is kind of nerdy,” Soos laughed and Wirt crossed his arms defensively. This was not going as planned. If anything this was only going to make Dipper not want to play and then they’d be back at square one.

Releasing a heavy breath, Wirt placed his hand on Dipper’s shoulder. “It’s okay. It’ll still be fun just you and me, right?”

Dipper glanced over at him from under his cap, his smile small, but appreciative. “Yeah. Yeah, just like old times. It’ll be great.” His smile grew as his mind already started whirling with the possibilities for their next campaign. “Thanks, man. I can always count on you.”

Wirt beamed, a pleased flush coloring his cheeks. While Dipper thumbed through the manual, Wirt grabbed the box and started to follow him out of the living room when the phone rang. They barely heard Grunkle Stan grunt a greeting into the landline, too engrossed in one another.

“You gonna stick with your tried and true?” Dipper asked. “Human bard?”

Wirt nodded. “I think so. And I really like your paladin character. You gonna try using him again?”

“Maybe. I dunno, lately I’ve been partial to my tiefling mage.”

“Hey, kid!” Grunkle Stan called out to them, his eyes on Wirt. “Your mom’s on the phone, c’mere.”

The boys froze and let out a collective groan, Dipper’s brow furrowing. “Seriously? Ugh, your mom has the worst timing.” He turned to Grunkle Stan. “Can you tell her we’re not here and he’ll call her back?”

Stan stared him down as he lifted the receiver back to his ear. “He’s coming over  _ right _ now to talk to you. He’s really looking forward to it. He’ll be here in eight seconds.”

Dipper glared at him, but accepted the box when Wirt handed it over to him. “I’m sorry. You know it was one of her conditions.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just your phone calls with her take  _ forever_.”

“Five seconds,” Stan warned them.

“I promise I’ll try and make it quick,” Wirt assured him. “You can start setting everything up, and hopefully I’ll be done before it’s time to start. Okay?”

Dipper sighed, but he couldn’t quite hide his smile as he accepted Wirt’s attempt at a compromise. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be out back. But seriously, be quick.” They both pointed between each other’s eyes in the universal “I’ve got my eye on you” gesture, then went their separate ways.

It might’ve been wishful thinking to hope that he could stand up to his mom and keep the conversation short, but Wirt had really wanted to try. The kicker was that he also didn’t want to say or do anything to jeopardize the possibility of getting to go anywhere for an extended period of time with Dipper in the future. It had been hard enough to get her to agree to it this time. He’d barely asked if he could go with Dipper and Mabel to Gravity Falls to stay with their great uncle for the summer when she stared him down while a firm “no” was punctuated with an “end of story.” Luckily a hunger strike and a day spent handcuffed together were all Wirt and Dipper had to do to encourage his mom and the Pines to sit down and discuss the possibility of Wirt being gone for the entire summer. Living in the home of a strange man she didn’t know. In the middle of nowhere.

Yeah, it was a miracle he’d been allowed to go at all.

After nearly an hour on the phone, Wirt hurried outside with an apology on his tongue and a pair of freeze pops in hand as a peace offering. Except he couldn’t find Dipper. Wirt circled the shack twice, but the only evidence that he’d even been out there was the sheet of graph paper Gompers was chewing on.

His first panicked thought was that Dipper had been snatched by a pterodactyl or the gnomes or the hide-behind or  _ Bill Cipher _ or-

But the board game wasn’t there, and as irrational as some of his thoughts could get, it didn’t seem that a creature or a kidnapper would take Dipper and an entire board game without someone hearing him cry out for help. Dipper did have a very distinctive scream, after all.

“Hey, um… guys?” Wirt wandered into the kitchen, where Mabel was showing off her latest creation full of popcorn while Stan held a partly decapitated taxidermy turkey sporting a detective’s hat. He didn’t ask. “Have you seen Dipper?”

“Jinx!” Mabel shouted at him, popcorn spilling onto the floor. When Wirt simply blinked at her, she clarified. “We were just wondering the same thing! It’s like our minds are melded.”

“Okay… um. So you haven’t then?”

“Last I saw him he was with you.” Stan shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Kid’s always wandering off.”

“Yeah, but we were supposed to play our game,” Wirt pointed out.

“Maybe he just got tired of waiting,” Mabel suggested, placing one hand on her hip. “You know Dipper, after all. But hey, you wanna help us get ready for our Ducktective viewing party? I was gonna make cupcakes shaped like magnifying glasses and duck bills!”

“That sounds kinda hard.”

“There’s no cupcake challenge too challenging for Mabel!”

Wirt’s lips quirked up for a moment before he shook his head. “No thanks, I think I’m just gonna check and see if Dipper’s in the attic. Good luck with your cupcakes though.”

Dipper wasn’t in the attic either. Or in the hidden room. Or in the gift shop. Or on the roof. Or back in the living room where it had all started. Concern mounting, Wirt grabbed the third journal and armed himself with a golf club and two pillows tied around his chest and back. If Dipper wasn’t in the Mystery Shack, then who knew where he could be-

He ran into him on the stairs. “What are you wearing?” Dipper laughed as he took in his armor.

“Oh, I- Well, I wanted to be prepared when I went looking for you.” Wirt flushed darkly, though his relief overshadowed his embarrassment for the time being. “Where have you been? I looked everywhere for you.”

“Oh! Oh, man, I’m so sorry. I was down in the basement with great uncle Ford.” Dipper lit up at the very mention of his name. “I totally lost track of time.”

“You…” Wirt blinked, curiosity piqued. “I thought you weren’t allowed in the basement?”

“I wasn’t, but like, we totally bonded!” Backtracking into their room, Dipper eagerly explained just how he’d stumbled upon his great uncle and his love for Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons.

“No way, he plays too?” Wirt smiled as he watched Dipper pace, the boy too keyed up with all his excitement to stay still for long.

“I know, right? It’s like, I didn’t think he could get any cooler!” Dipper’s grin warmed Wirt from the inside out. It had been a while since he’d seen him so happy. “Oh man, it was amazing playing with him! Like, it’s one thing when it’s you and me, but he plays on this whole other level!”

“O-oh?” Wirt cocked his head to one side, hands folded in his lap as he sat on the edge of Dipper’s bed.

Dipper caught himself before he said something unintentionally hurtful. “Not that playing with you isn’t awesome,” he hastily corrected. “It’s just… I know how to play with you. It’s familiar and like… like coming home, you know?” His smile was soft, soft enough to get Wirt to return it. “And with great uncle Ford it’s just so…”

“It’s new and exciting.” Wirt shrugged. “I get it, Dipper. It’s okay.”

Relaxing with his approval, Dipper hurried over to sit beside him. “I knew you’d understand. I mean, I’m still so sorry that I bailed on you-”

“I kinda bailed first.” Wirt waved it off, laughing along with his friend.

“Whatever you say, man. But yeah. I can’t wait to finish!” Dipper flopped back, arms splayed out as he sank into the mattress. “My heart’s like… it’s racing. We had like, an actual conversation, too. I got to know a little more about him. And, Wirt!” He shouted his name like Wirt was actually going somewhere, the boy startled as Dipper sat back up onto his knees. “I’m actually related to him! The Author of the journals!”

Wirt laughed, his nose scrunching as he bounced along with the waves Dipper’s wiggling made in the mattress. “I know. It’s really cool.”

“I’m so glad you understand. I don’t feel like anyone else does, you know? Like Mabel was excited at first, but I don’t think she really understands how much I want to get to know him. And I _know_ Grunkle Stan doesn’t,” Dipper huffed.

Without a second thought, Wirt reached out and placed his hand over one of Dipper’s. “It’s like you said, you can always count on me.” His heart skipped a beat as the contact lingered, and the look they exchanged felt deep. It resonated with Wirt’s soul, and he could swear he saw it in Dipper’s eyes, too. “Dipper?”

“Yeah?”

Wirt held his breath, wondering if now was the time to ask one of his many, burning questions.  _ What would you think if I told you I like boys? One boy, in particular… _ There was no one he trusted more than Dipper, keeper of all his secrets and fierce protector, but he still couldn’t give the question a voice. He still didn’t know. Was it all boys? Was it just Dipper? What did he even want to do with Dipper?

He liked holding hands, but they did that anyway. He liked being close with him, but they did that anyway. The cot Grunkle Stan had propped up by Dipper’s bed had gone unused the entire summer, except as an extra shelf to hold their suitcases and clothes, both boys content to share Dipper’s. They were as close as two friends could get and it was all Wirt wanted, so… what else did he want?

He licked his lips, recalling the way they’d briefly brushed those of the clone of his best friend, but only panic rose as the thought of being old enough to kiss someone for real impaled him like a bolt of lightning. “I just… so you’re not… you didn’t finish your campaign with… with the author?” he squeaked out, deciding that what happened with Tyrone was just a  _ slight _ variation of a kiss on the cheek.

Dipper perked up, his concern had been mounting when Wirt got caught up in his thoughts. “Yeah. We took a break since he needed to feed the cycloptopus to discourage it from trying to escape again, and figured we’d regroup after dinner.” Dipper leaned into him, nudging their shoulders together. “I think we’re too far into it for you to join this round, but you can watch. Then we’ll just include you in the next one.”

“Sure. If that’s okay with your great uncle,” Wirt bumped his shoulder back with a shy smile.

“Of course, man. You’re my best friend. Plus you’re like, the last person to touch anything down there or snoop through his stuff. It’ll be fine.”

It wasn’t fine. The eager boys were shot down at the vending machine as Stanford stood in their way, his firm stance easing up a bit when he saw how Wirt stiffened and recoiled when he sharpened his tone. His fingers curled in Dipper’s vest, clinging to him as he took a step behind him and averted his gaze. 

Stanford sighed and crouched down to be at their level. “I’m sorry, boys, but it’s just too dangerous down there. It’s no place for children. Dipper, you’re an exception since I can tell you’ve got a level head and I know you understand the importance of my work and the dangers that are down there. Plus we’re family, so if anything did happen.” He made a so-so gesture with his hand. “But I can’t be held accountable for anything that could happen to a non-relative. Do you understand?”

No. It was a little insulting that Stanford assumed that Wirt wouldn’t be on his best behavior and that he’d run amok in his lab. If anyone was going to run amok, it’d be Dipper and Mabel, he was the level headed one out of the group. Or at least the quiet, unassuming one.

Reminded of the hunger strike and handcuffs all over again, Wirt looked to Dipper for an argument in their defense. The bill of the pine tree cap shaded his eyes for a minute as he glanced down at his feet, the lack of eye contact made Wirt’s palms sweaty and he clung to Dipper tighter. With a sigh, Dipper lifted his gaze and the look in his eyes wasn’t what Wirt expected.

“I’m sorry, man, but it’s his basement.”

“Oh.” Wirt’s heart stuttered and the rejection he’d been trying to protect Dipper from slapped him in the face. “Of course, um… can you… can you move the game up here? You could play in the living room?”

Dipper shook his head. “We’re already so far into it, we could mess up the board and lose track of our progress. It’ll just be for a little bit. Just until we finish. Then we can move it, right great uncle Ford?”

“That’s right, Dipper. You’re welcome to watch us play in any other room in the house. It’s just a safety precaution that you stay out of the basement.” Stanford Pines nodded to himself, then straightened up and dusted off his coat. “Come along, Dipper.”

Dipper glanced over at him with a sheepish smile and a shrug. “I promise I’ll try and make it quick,” he echoed the promise Wirt had made just hours before.

“Yeah, okay.” He managed a small smile. “Have fun.”

Dipper started for the vending machine, but stopped himself before he went down. His fingers curled around the edge of the doorway, tapping hesitantly while he looked at him over his shoulder. Teeth sinking into his lower lip, Dipper searched Wirt’s face and took a step back, away from the basement.

This was important to Dipper. This was his family and his idol. It was stupid to be upset over not being included for one night. This wasn’t like with Wendy. This would be okay.

Wirt straightened his shoulders and waved him on. “Go. I’ll be fine. I’ve still got some summer reading to finish for next year and mom wants me to practice the clarinet more.”

Dipper relaxed, some of the worry fading around his eyes. “You sure?”

“I’m positive. I understand, remember?”

“Yeah. I do. Thanks, Wirt!”

With that, he darted down into the basement and the vending machine slid shut with it’s slam-like hiss. Wirt exhaled shakily and shoved his hands in his pockets. It was just one game. Wirt knew better than to be jealous of something like that.

Except Wirt never did get to join them. The dungeons they devised too complex and the puzzles mind boggling. Wirt even watched all night as Dipper drew up his “best dungeon yet” to stump his great uncle, and was positive it wasn’t just exhaustion that made him unable to understand what the heck was on the graph paper.

“Great uncle Ford seriously got me with the last one, so I want to try and give my all with this one. You know, show him what I’m really capable of,” he explained as he worked. “And I know you get frustrated with some of my harder puzzles.”

“No I don’t,” Wirt huffed, cheeks pink and puffed out stubbornly.

Dipper cast him a sidelong glance, his eyes shining with vague amusement in the dim light, Mabel still trying to sleep while they sprawled on the floor. “Yeah you do,” he chuckled quietly. “And it’s okay. I like making it so that it’s fun for you. For both of us. I know you don’t have a good time when you seriously don’t understand something.”

It stung. All these cracks at his intelligence were really wearing him down. Wirt fiddled with one of Dipper’s spare pencils, scratching at the teeth marks near the eraser. First Mabel, then Stanford, now Dipper? He didn’t expect Grunkle Stan to be the only one not to take a swing at him.

It took Dipper a second to catch on when Wirt didn’t say anything. “Hey, you know I think you’re smart,” he told him seriously. “You’re one of the smartest people I know, Wirt. But our brains work in different ways, you know that. And it’s not a bad thing.” When Wirt simply looked at him, Dipper sighed and draped his arm across his back. “You notice things that I don’t and you’re like a musical genius, man. So puzzles aren’t your thing. You can’t be good at everything or then I’d be the jealous one,” he teased.

Wirt blinked rapidly. “Wh- what? No, I’m not- I’m not jealous.”

Dipper smiled knowingly. “Mmhm.”

“I’m not!”

“D, D, and More D will always be our game, Wirt.” He gave him a companionable squeeze. “I just want to use this to… to try and prove myself to great uncle Ford. I’ve never had someone in my family who hasn’t made fun of my interests or teased me about it. I know I’ve got that in you, and I just want to see if I’ve got that in great uncle Ford, too.” Dipper tapped the tip of his pencil to the graph paper. “And I really want to get him back for some of his really hard puzzles.”

Wirt snorted, shaking his head as he leaned into Dipper and let his head rest against his shoulder. “You’re such a showoff.”

“You know you love it,” Dipper chuckled, keeping his arm around Wirt as he returned his attention to his dungeon map.

Wirt closed his eyes as he drifted off beside him, a bittersweet thought ringing in his head.  _ You have no idea just how true that is, Dipper Pines. _


End file.
